The health risks of fasting

I have to also mention some of the health risks associated with intermittent fasting and there are many of them.

Dehydration

People who fast commonly experience dehydration, largely because their body is not getting any fluid from food. As such, it is recommended that an individual should consume plenty of water prior to fasting periods, and should also ensure they are properly hydrated during fasting periods.

Stress leading to headaches

If you are used to having breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between, fasting periods can be a major challenge. As such, fasting can increase stress levels and disrupt sleep. Dehydration, hunger or lack of sleep during a fasting period can also lead to headaches.

Heartburn

Fasting can also cause heartburn; lack of food leads to a reduction in stomach acid, which digests food and destroys bacteria. But smelling food or even thinking about it during fasting periods can trigger the brain into telling the stomach to produce more acid, leading to heartburn.

Cortisol problems

Cortisol or the stress hormones are the dark lords of metabolism. Elevated cortisol levels are an important effect of intermittent fasting. From an evolutionary point of view, this was a win-win perspective because it induced the body to release fat as energy. However, in the long term, this showed negative effects, especially in women. It resulted in an undesired effect of storing fat and breaking down muscle in women.

Unhealthy obsession with food

Some health professionals believe intermittent fasting may steer people away from healthy eating recommendations, such as eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. Many fear fasting may also trigger eating disorders or binge eating. Intermittent fasting can slowly make you obsessed with food. It will be the only thing you look forward to and think about. While you are fasting, you plan what you are going to eat next. Or in some cases, you break the fast and think that you will fast later. When you are starving, all that you can think and care about is food and other priorities take a backseat

Food intolerance risk and inflammation

Fasting can leave you craving for more food, perhaps a pizza or a boxful of donuts.

However, these break the fast and meals can be loaded with dairy, soy, gluten or other reactive foods. This results in a leaky gut situation and paves the way for food intolerance and inflammation

In my own view, the health benefits of fasting definitely outweigh the risks which can be controlled.

Who should not fast?

Fasting is universally safe across all cultures with very few contraindications for those who should not fast, including:

People in a state of starvation or malnutrition

Pregnant, diabetic women, nursing women

Those with anaemia

People with porphyria (a group of rare diseases in which chemical substances called porphyrins accumulate with high metabolism)

People with a rare genetic, fatty-acid deficiency of acetyl CoA (preventing ketosis from occurring)

Otherwise, therapeutic and periodic fasting is a very safe, proven and effective way to rest, rejuvenate, heal and in most all other ways, improve the human body. Best of all, it’s free and also saves money on your food bill.

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